Car heater



March 19, 1929. s VERET M0555@ CAR HEATER Filed June 21, 1927 vllllululllllummnu.

Paame'd Mar. 19, 1929.

UNITED ASTATES SERGIUS VERNET, F BROOKLYN, NEW YQBK.

can HEATER.

Application led June 21,

This invention relates to an improvement.

automobiles, buses, trucks and other vehicles operated by internal combustion engines from the exhaust heat of the engine have been devised. In some of these heaters the exhaust gases are conducted directly through the passenger compartments, in others a bypass receivlng a portion of the exhaust gases and conducting them through Ka suitable ra-J diatory has been used. A

In general these heaters are subject to serious difficulty, because they sometimes become overheated to the extent that the dirt and dust which is collected around them is burned and gives off` an unpleasant odor.

Leaks also occur admitting carbon monoxide into the passenger compartment. Metal pans have' to be furnished with these heaters so that when they are installed they are kept away from any water or combustible material. Their installation is diliicult in so far as the exhaust pipe has to be cut and connections made from it to the heater. They also increase the back pressure in the exhaust pipe which in turn affects the eliif ciency of the engine.

The valves in this type of heater, being directly in the' passage of the exhaust gases, become oxidized and also co'vered with carbon to the extent that they often cease functioning making it impossible to turn the heater on and oil'.

The type of heater which uses hot air heated by the exhaust pipe and then lead into the passenger compartment issubject to the diliculty that all the objectionable odors around the exhaust pipe and the engine are conveyed with the hot air into the vehicle, as well as a lot of road dust and dirt.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide a motor vehicle heater which will obviate the above disadvantages and will satisfactorily and efficiently heat 'the vehicle body and which is self-regulated.

It is another object of this invention to provide a heater for a motor vehicle body operating from the heat of the exhaust gases which may be under accurate control at all times, and which will heat eiiiciently.

It is a further object of this invention to PATENT oFFlcE.

1927. Serial No. 900.3%.

provide an automobile heater, including as the heating medium a vapor condenser .system suitably connected with the exhaust pipe to receive heat of vaporization thererom, and to conduct the vapor to a condenser radiator where the vapor gives up its heat and is condensed and returned. to be v revaporized by the exhaust heat.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a vapor heater for a motor vehicle which, regardless of the heat of the exhaust gases, will not become overheated and will not give ofi' objectionable odors or permit exhaust or other passenger compartment.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple closed system vapor heater, whlch will be of low inltial cost, easy to install and inexpensive to operate. Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear from the following detailed description of the attached drawings which illustrate a preferred form of embodiment of my invention and in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a closed car body showing the location of my improved heater therein.

Fig. 2 is a, side elevation partly in section showing a construction of the heater.

Fig. 3 is an end\view of the heater shown in Fig. 2 illustrating the connection between the heater and the exhaust pipe, as well as the control valve.

Flg. 4 is a side elevation partl in sectionv similar to Fig. 2 showing a modi ed form of control means.

Fig. 5 is an end view of a further modified form of vapor generator or reservoir.

The automobile 10 shown diagrammatically in Fig. 1, is a typical enclosed private automobile and has the rear compartment 12 in which a heater 14 constructed accordingto an adaptation of my invention is located and is supplied with heat from the exhaust pipe 16 shown in dotted lines between the engine (not shown) and the muiiier 18.

It is obvious that this heater might be placed in either an open or a closedl car and may be placed in either the front or the rear compartment thereof, or maybe usedV gases to enter thev on buses, trucks and other automotive vey or conduit 2 2 to the condenser 24 enclosed in a suitable frame 26. The reservoir or vapor generator 20 is preferably made ofr a thin metal which may be made to conform tothe shape of the exhaust pipe by means of the bands 28 suitably fastened by nuts and bolts 29. The shoe 20 is made hollow to enclose a small portion of the heating liquid and for the average passenger automobile need hold only approximately five tablespoons of the liquid.

To the upstanding nipple on the heater shoe 20 a flexible conduit 22 is secured by a fluid tight connection and is adapted to" conduct the fluid vapor from the reservoir to the condenser 24. The condenser 24 is preferably a stamped vaporproof metal tank provided with a sump or similar drain portion 24a and an outwardlyprojecting nipple 24b to receive the upper end of the vaporlconduit 22. A regulating means consisting of an enclosing sleeve 30 with an extended projecting handle 31`is placed over the conduit 22 near the sump or drain of the condenser 24. As will be understood this sleeve 30 of the regulating means merely encloses the conduit 22 and is adapted to raise the conduit to the dotteVV positiony as shown in Fig. 2 at 22a, the handle being raised to the position 31et when it is desired to shut ofil the heater. The metallic housing 26 for the heater provides a neat and attractive external appearance and aids in conducting the heat from the condenser as Well as to support and protect the condenser on the car floor. The regulating means 31 comprises an enlarged ball or handle which cooperates with the serrated opening on the end 26a of the heater as shown in Fig. 3. Suitable markings on the end adjacent the extreme positions will indicfsite by inspection, when the heater is on or o f The operation of this device is as follows:

A suitable fluid such as water or alcohol,

carbon tetra-chloride, or the like, or any combination of fluids, having a boiling point between 150 and 212 degrees F., is placed in the shoe or reservoir 20 through the filling cap 20b using a limited amount, as before mentioned. The condenser and reservoir are then hermetically sealed preferably under a Slight vacuum and the shoe is placed on the exhaust ipe. Under operation of' the motor, the ex aust gas will sulliciently heat the liquid to vaporize it, andthe vapor will rise to the condenser 24 and will give sufficient heat from the condenser to warm the interior ofthe vehicle. The vaporized fluid is cooled by this exchange of heat and condensed, and will return thru the` conduit 22 to the reservoir 20 and in turn will again bev heated, vaporized, give off its heat in the condenser, and return to the reservoir, thus maintaining a continual circulation and effectively warming the car. In case the car compartment becomes too warm, by merely grasping the control handle 31 and moving it from the on to the oil position, the condensed liquid will be unable to return over the high point 22a in the conduit, and thus will not run back to the shoe 20, further vaporization will stop, and no more heat will be given off.

No serious effects will take place because of continued heating, inasmuch as the quantity of liquid is so small that it Will all be vaporized and the vapor will only be superheated and the superheat pressure of the vapor will not cause rupture of the metallic condenser shell or unduly increase the temperature. By using a liquid having a suitable vaporization point, the heater becomes quicklyheated when the engine has started and cont-inues to give off heat until all the vapor is condensed.

A modified form of control means to shut off the heater is shown in Fig. 4in which a sump portion 35 in the condenser 36 isl so enlarged as to receive all the condensed" fluid to be used in the system. An upwardly projecting pipe 37 which is an extension of the nipple to which the conduit 22 is connected prevents the fluid when condensed from returning tothe Shoe 20. A cork or metallic collar 38 attached to the handle 39 is adapted to entirely lill the sump portion and when in its lower position will permit the condensed lluid to return through the nipple to the shoe 20. It will be understood that the heater shoe is connected in the same vway to the end of the conduit 22 and that similarly arranged latch means as shown in Fig. 3 will cooperate with the operating handle 39. To shut oil' this form of heater, the handle 39 is lowered, elevating the collar 38 and permitting all the liquid to remain in the sum 35 so that no further vaporization can ta e place.

A modified form of vapor generator or reservoir 120 is shown in Fig. 5 which is adapted to be used in conjunction with the exhaust muffler 118. The muffler gases are several hundred degrees hotter than the out-` side of the exhaust pipe and for this reason, the element 120 may be made somewhat smaller and etbe equally effective. It will be similarly eld in place by a suitable clamp 28, fastened'by a securing means 29 and is adapted to retain packing 121 to securely close the opening made in the muiller 118 and to prevent rattles.

In operation this form vaporizes the liquid much quicker than the other because of the increased heat. There Awill also be no lagging required to retain the heat and all that will be required to adapt it to a muiiler will be to drill a suitable hole therein.

From thel above detailed description, it is seen that a very simple and yet highly effective car heater is provided in which the heat can be quickly and adequately transferred from the source, the exhaus: pipe, to the heat radiator in the car body, and because of the super-heating of the fluid, increased temperature may be obtained Without rupture of the parts. When less lheat is desired, operation of the control means will either shut the device oil" entirely or it may be so regulated as to govern the necessary amount of return fluid to permit sufficient heat. When the device is warmed and the -motor turned oli', by merely closing the heater off, the retained fluidwill retain its heat temporarily. In such a device disclosed, there can be no objectionable odors because there is no source of excessive heat and the heater is sealed to retain all of the rvapors.

While I have shown a preferred form of embodiment of the device, I am aware that other modications might be constructed and I, therefore, desire protection on the broad scope of the invention as described herein andl as claimed in the claims 'appended hereto.

What I claim as my invention is:

1`. In an automobile heater, a vapor pressure heating system, comprising'a heating chamber adapted to be heated by the exhaust of the automobile engine, a condenser radiator located in the compartmentto be l heated, a closed conduit between the heating chamber and the radiator, a volatile liquid in said heating chamber adapted to be vaporized by the heat of the exhaust, and to be condensed in the radiator to give ofi' its heat and return to the heating chamber for revaporization, and means to control the heater by preventing the return of liquid to the heating chamber.

2. A vapor heating system for automobiles, comprising a vapor generator, a condenser radiator, means to conduct the vapor from the generator to the radiator ,l and to conduct condensate from the radiator to the generator, and means to prevent return of the condensate to the generator, said system being sealed to prevent the escape of vapor therefrom.

3. A.v heater for automotive vehicles comprising a means to vaporize a liquid, means to conduct the vapor to the passenger compartment of the vehicle, means to warm the passenger compartment, comprising a con denser receiving said vapor, said nconductimg'; means acting to return the condensed liquid from the condenser to the vaporizing means, and adjustable means to prevent the return of condensed liquid.

4. In an automobile heater of the class' described, the combination with the exhaust pipe of the engine, of a heater shoe adapted to be heated by said exhaust pipe when said engine is operated, a liquid in 4said shoe to be -vaporized by said heat and means in the automobile body to receive and condense said vapor, means to return saidliquid to be again revaporized for the purpose of heating the body, and adjustable means to prevent return of said fluid for the purpose of controlling the heater.

. 5. In a heater for automotive vehicles, propelled by an internal' combustion engine, means to convey heat from the exhaust gas comprising a vaporizer, a liquid whose boiling point is substantially equal to or lower than that of water, means to convey the vapor from the vaporizer to the vehicle body, means in the vehicle body to receive and condense said liquid and heat the vehicle `lbody, and control means preventing the return of the condensed liquid to the vaporizer, thereby preventing transfer of heat to the vehicle body.

V6. In a vapor heater formotor vehicles, a sealed vapor condenser system comprising means tovaporize a liquid, means to condense said vapor, and means to regulate the amount of vapor formed by preventing the condensed liquid from returning to thev vaporizing means.

7 In a vapor heated for motor Car bodies, al vaporizing chamber containing) a liquid, means to conduct vapor to the car body, condenser means to condense said vapor and warm the car body, and means inside 4the condenser and operative from the outside of said condenser to regulate the heat conveyed by preventing the return of the cooled and condensed liquid to the vaporizing chamber.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature to this specification.

SERGIUS VERNET.- 

